


Tick tock, tea at three

by FangirlOfPower



Series: Hollow Knight fics [1]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Ghost has some questionable tastes in tea that don't get explored, Ghost has voice line echolia, Hornet and Quirrel and Ira hung out when the Dreamers were in boring meetings, I have named Lurien's butler Ira, The Knight is Called Ghost (Hollow Knight), Then it just... Developed, and by that I mean the Dreamers handed Ira a college student and a young child, and said good luck!, but mostly vibes, it means watchful, mostly just "Hey Quirrel and Hornet would have recognized Lurien's Butler", so I have a slight feeling of what happened here, they are dead, this just came to me in a haze
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:53:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27791818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FangirlOfPower/pseuds/FangirlOfPower
Summary: Tick, tock, tick, tock...The clock on the wall is nearing three, it's almost time for tea.But not at home, no, teatime in the City of Tears.
Relationships: Hornet & Quirrel (Hollow Knight), Hornet & The Knight (Hollow Knight), The Knight & Quirrel (Hollow Knight)
Series: Hollow Knight fics [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2055390
Comments: 15
Kudos: 49





	Tick tock, tea at three

**Author's Note:**

> You know what? Next time I'll proofread and not post my first draft

It's a quiet house in Dirtmouth that Ghost lives in, with their sister and best friend. It's quiet because Hornet's out hunting in Greenpath and Quirrel's taking a nap. Ghost stares at the clock on the wall, waiting. Tick, tock, tick, tock… 

Hornet opens the front door and Ghost looks up at her. “Hegalae! Welcome home, Hornet.” 

“Little Ghost, the Infection still sits inside the depths of Hallownest.” Hornet closes the front door and sets her needle next to the doorframe. “What are you doing here?” She walks into the kitchen to put the contents of her hunting bag away. 

“Tick tock, tea at three,” Ghost answers. 

“You hate tea.” 

“Not my tea.” They tip their head thoughtfully. “Besides, I'm stuck. Very difficult fights.” 

Hornet laughs slightly as she returns to the front room. “You're a strange Vessel. You haven't killed a single Dreamer yet you speak of ending the Infection.” 

“I am. It's taking a while.” 

The clock reads 2:50. Quirrel comes into the room, yawning and stretching. “Hello Ghost, hello Hornet.” 

Ghost stands up. “Tick tock, time to leave.” They grab their nail from the doorway and gesture at Quirrel and Hornet. “You guys too.” 

Hornet grabs her needle and Quirrel goes back into his room for his nail. 

Ghost leads them to the Stag Station and rings the bell. The Stag runs to the station, breathing heavily. “Hello. Where to?” 

“Valava,” Ghost greets. “City Storerooms.” 

“Oh yes, today is Wednesday, isn't it?” 

“Tick tock, tea at three.” Ghost climbs on, Hornet and Quirrel following them. The Stag runs through the tunnel, taking about a minute to get to the station. “Thank you.” 

“Safe travels.” 

Ghost climbs off and sits on the bench, opening their map for a moment. “Chocolae…” 

“Where are we going, my friend?” Quirrel asks. 

“To visit someone.” 

“Who?” 

Ghost shrugs and puts their map away. They exit the room, Hornet and Quirrel following closely. They quickly take down a Winged Sentry then hop down a stack of crates. The trio continue through the city, taking down the Husks that block the way. Ghost sits at a bench along the way. 

They lead Quirrel and Hornet into Watcher's Spire. Hornet stops Ghost. “Ghost, there's no one alive here,” Hornet says. “There’s only Husks and the Watcher Knights.” 

“Tick tock, I killed the Watcher Knights.” Ghost tugs on her hand. “Tick tock, we can't be late.” 

They continue into the Spire, passing a broken elevator. 

Up the trio goes, killing a Winged Sentry. They get into an elevator, only to be greeted by two more. “Gods, there's a lot of elevators in here,” Hornet says. 

“Lurien prided himself in having the Spire be disability accessible,” Quirrel says. “All of the ramps have crumbled with no one to come fix them, though. Shame.” He blinks. “Hm. Didn't know I knew that.” Ghost takes the elevator to their right. There is a third elevator, but this one has a view over the city. “Always takes my breath away…” 

Hornet scoffs. “It's rain. What can be so spectacular about it?” 

“Oh, my memories are returning, and you used to adore the rain. You splashed in the puddles and got me wet whenever I was left to watch you.” 

“Lies.” The elevator clunks to a stop and Hornet steps out. “...I think I remember doing that. There was someone else there too sometimes, wasn't there?” 

“Yes, Lurien's butler, Ira.” 

Ghost falters in their tracks slightly. They shake it off. They run ahead of Quirrel and Hornet and smack their nail on the Watcher Knights’ armor. 

Quirrel chuckles. “Hard fight?” 

“Terrible! Died like five times!” Ghost smacks it again for good measure. 

Ahead of them there's another elevator. The three go up and climb up a collapsed ramp. The longest elevator is here, all the way up to Lurien's resting place. There's a pile of Lurien's dead assistants next to a window at the bottom of the elevator. Quirrel can't bear to look at them, knowing that he was close to some of them. Ghost stands at the front of the elevator, looking out the glass. Despite all the death and destruction and horrifying things they've seen, they are still a child and have much to see. Ghost takes a case of tea from under their cloak. “Tick tock, teatime soon. What flavor do you want?” 

“We’ll pick when we get there, okay?” Hornet says. 

Ghost puts the case back in their cloak. The elevator stops and the cage opens. “Tick tock, we made it.” 

“Alright Ghost, who are we having tea with?” Quirrel asks. 

“Not with, next to.” Ghost steps out of the elevator. There’s a barricade made from tipped over chairs that Ghost hops onto. “Them.” Ghost points at Lurien. No, at a Husk NEXT to Lurien. 

“Oh Gods,” Quirrel says. 

Hornet glances between Quirrel and the Husk before it clicks. “Is that…?” 

“Ira, how long have you been up here watching your friend?” Quirrel says quietly. He looks at Ghost. “My friend, tea with a Husk isn’t very good tea.” Ghost hops over the barricade they’ve made of chairs. “Ghost!” 

Ghost steers clear of Ira and grabs a book from a table and comes back to them, climbing over the barricade. “Stasis schedule,” Ghost reads. “Wednesday at three o’clock, tea with Hornet.” 

Somewhere in the City, a clock tower chimes three times. “Tick tock,” Ghost says, the bell accenting their words. “Tea at three.” 


End file.
